Texas A&M student tests negative for coronavirus in Brazos County, officials say
A Texas A&M student tested negative for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus in Brazos County, the Brazos County Health District confirmed Sunday.
The student traveled to Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus originated, and showed symptoms of the virus. Brazos County is about 100 miles northwest of Houston.
Texas A&M University announced they were notified by the Brazos County Health District that a student may have a possible case of the virus. On Sunday, university officials said in a statement they were grateful for the negative result.
“We are very pleased with this news and grateful to those community caregivers involved for their expertise, proactive action and compassion demonstrated in treating our student,” said Dr. Martha Dannenbaum, director of A&M’s Student Health Services, in a statement. “We wish to thank the Brazos County Health District, which offered guidance and transparency throughout this case.”
The university said the student was a graduate student at the school, but did not release the student’s identity.
Chris Meyer, associate vice president for Safety and Security for Texas A&M said the collaboration among local, state and national officials was “immensely helpful in fulfilling our mission of keeping the campus community safe.”
The symptoms of coronavirus are similar to influenza and include a cough and shortness of breath.
The virus is a respiratory illness that is believed to have been transmitted from animals to people at a market in Wuhan. Cases have been reported in Japan, Thailand, and South Korea, NPR reported. On Jan. 23, Singapore and Vietnam also confirmed that coronavirus has spread to their countries, the Associated Press reported.
A student at Baylor University was also being tested for the virus after recently traveling to China.
